n8n

What is n8n?

n8n (pronounced "n-eight-n") is an open-source workflow automation platform. Like Zapier or Make, it connects your apps and automates repetitive tasks through a visual node-based editor. Unlike them, you can run it on your own server — meaning unlimited executions, zero data ownership concerns, and no usage-based billing.

The workflow editor is a visual canvas where you drag, drop, and connect nodes. Each node is a trigger, an action, or a data transformation. You wire them together with lines, configure each one, and run the whole chain automatically on a schedule or when an event fires.

n8n vs Zapier vs Make

n8n's self-hosted version is free with no task limits. This makes it the obvious choice if you run high-volume automations or need sensitive data to stay on your infrastructure.

The magic moment

Build a workflow that: (1) fires when a form is submitted, (2) passes the data to Claude via the AI node, (3) runs a JavaScript code block to parse the response, (4) writes results to a Google Sheet, and (5) sends a Slack notification. Run it. Pay nothing per execution. That combination of AI + code + integrations with no per-task fee is why developers love n8n.

Step-by-step setup

Option 1: Local with Docker (fastest start)

1. Install Docker from docker.com
2. Run n8n:

   docker run -it --rm --name n8n -p 5678:5678 n8nio/n8n
   

3. Open http://localhost:5678 in your browser
4. Create a local account (no email confirmation needed)

Option 2: Deploy to a VPS (permanent, recommended)

Popular options: Railway, Render, DigitalOcean, or Hetzner

1. Follow the official deployment guide for your chosen host
2. Set up environment variables (encryption key, timezone, etc.)
3. Configure your domain with SSL

Budget 1–2 hours for a first VPS deployment.

Building your first workflow

Once n8n is running:

1. Click New Workflow
2. Click + and search for a trigger — try Schedule (runs on a timer) or Webhook (fires when called)
3. Click the + on the right edge of your trigger to add the next node — this is an "action"
4. Search for your app (Gmail, Slack, Airtable, etc.) and configure it
5. Continue adding nodes — connect them by dragging from one node's output to the next node's input
6. Add a Code node anywhere in the chain to run JavaScript that transforms data
7. Click Execute Workflow to test with real data
8. Click Activate to turn it on permanently

AI-native workflows

n8n has built-in AI agent capabilities — you can drop in a "Basic LLM Chain" or "AI Agent" node and connect it to OpenAI, Anthropic, or a local Ollama model. This enables workflows like:

• Customer email triage — receive email → Claude classifies intent → routes to the right Slack channel
• Content pipeline — daily schedule fires → scrape RSS feed → Claude summarises → post to Notion
• Data extraction — receive PDF webhook → extract text → Claude parses fields → write to database

These AI-integrated workflows are where n8n is significantly ahead of Zapier and Make.

Compare with Zapier and Make

Choose n8n if:

• You need unlimited executions without a growing bill
• You want to run custom JavaScript or Python inside workflows
• Data privacy or compliance prevents using third-party hosted services
• You're comfortable with Docker and basic server management

Choose Zapier if:

• You need the simplest possible setup and don't want to manage infrastructure
• You're under the free-tier limit (100 tasks/month)

Choose Make if:

• You want a visual builder with more power than Zapier but no server to manage
• You need complex data routing and transformation without writing code